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Hotel Al Piave is a small, family-run hotel in the Castello area of Venice. This location is not as touristy as other areas and a ten minute walk from the popular activities and sights. The property located on a quiet side street; it’s a bit hard to find the first time you look for it,…

The Hotel Al Ponte Mocenigo is a hidden gem for families seeking value-oriented accommodations in Venice. Convenient to both the Venice train station and the Rialto area, and just steps from a vaporetto stop on the Grand Canal, it is also situated in a genuine residential neighborhood away from the bustle of cruise ship tourists. Rooms…

Located right on the Venice Lido beach, the Hotel Excelsior Venice Lido Resort offers guests relief from the congestion and crowds in the center of Venice. Families love having immediate access to a sandy beach with private cabanas and a swimming pool over the summer months. A seasonal kids’ club for ages 4-12 is available…

Hotel Flora is a true gem in Venice, a city known for overpriced hotels. This 45-room family-run hotel is ideally located just a few minutes’ walk from St. Mark’s Square, with very central access to all of Venice’s main attractions. Although the property is off one of the most exclusive shopping streets in the city,…

Hotel Londra Palace is right on the main canal in Venice with unbelievable views of the water. The public boats, taxis, and gondolas of Venice all stop here making transportation to and from the hotel a breeze. All of Venice’s main attractions are easily accessed from here. Recently redecorated guest rooms are fresh and luxurious.…

The Liassidi Palace has a beautiful courtyard for relaxing between sightseeing excursions, and looks onto a pretty canal. The hotel is located slightly off the beaten path, but still centrally positioned for all the major Venice attractions. The staff is friendly and helpful. Cribs are available for babies and toddlers. Rooms are spacious and clean.

The Luna Hotel Baglioni, one of Venice’s grand hotels, is an old-world, opulent Venetian palace ideally located just steps away from St. Mark’s Square, making it extremely convenient. Luxurious rooms (including connecting options) and suites are very spacious; a special few signature suites are absolutely massive, with private terraces boasting wonderful Venice views. The award-winning onsite…

Palazzo Schiavoni is a 400-year-old palazzo on a small canal within a five-minute walk of San Marco. Spacious apartment-style units accommodate families well. Rooms are traditional with basic kitchenette facilities. There are no other real amenities available here. The benefit for families is the value-oriented pricing, space with children, and convenience to Venice attractions.

CB Editorial

With its cobbled sidewalks, pedestrian streets, glittering canals and hundreds of bridges, Venice seems tailor-made to enchant kids. For many families, though, the unfamiliar terrain can be both dreamy and daunting. This magical floating city is made up of more than 117 islands, and it’s hard to know where to start. Venice is divided into six neighborhoods, collectively called sestieri (or…

The JW Marriott Venice Resort & Spa — Italy’s first JW Marriott hotel — is set on a resortlike private island in Venice, just minutes from the tourist-thronged Piazza San Marco. It’s the only resident of the tiny Isola delle Rose, and with its olive groves, lush gardens and knockout pools, both parents and kids will be happy to stay…

When I saw that the Hotel Al Ponte Mocenigo has its own bridge leading across a small rio, as the side canals in Venice are called, to its courtyard entrance, I knew it was the place for me. I wanted some real Venetian magic – a sense that we were staying in the heart of the…

This was the first visit to Venice for our family. Rather than staying in the the center of Venice, we opted to stay on the Venice Lido, an island to the north of Venice that sits on the Adriatic Sea and is home to a 12 kilometer sandy beach. The value of being able to experience the city of Venice and explore its canals and history, and afterwards escape to the serenity and calm of a beach was ideal for us. This was a surprise to me as I anticipated wanting to be in the city full time and wondered if staying out at the beach would give us the true Venetian experience.

I finally made it to Burano on our last family trip to Venice. This colorful fishing village is an island in the Venetian archipelago. There’s not much to do there other than stroll, shop, and eat a fresh seafood lunch, but it’s unique and fun to pair with a trip to a glassblowing factory in Murano. Burano also is famous for traditional lacemaking and there’s a lacemaking museum, Museo del Merletto, to visit as well. Although, that was a tough sell for my boys so we didn’t go.

Families are always looking for ways to engage their kids while sightseeing in Europe. Sometimes the attraction is so compelling that kids are naturally interested, while at other times they could care less and do the child’s equivalent of thinking about their “to do” list – they tune out completely.

Interestingly, sometimes the least expected things excite them. While in London last spring, my then 8-year-old Devon could care less about viewing the cities’ most iconic landmarks …

It’s practically impossible for kids not to be engaged in the Venice tourist experience given the allure of the boats and maze of alleys, steps, and bridges. Love it or hate it, Venice is unique and commands attention.

Three days is the perfect amount of time to spend in Venice, particularly during busy periods when it’s tough to escape the crowds.

You might not think of Venice as top European destination for kids, but it is. We spent five wonderful days relaxing and exploring the city. We stayed in a small apartment off Campo San Angelo, a short walk from the famous Piazza San Marco.

In planning our trip, I had to consider how to make Venice enjoyable for my very active, very boisterous boys, while still getting to show them this famous city with all her artistic charms.

Frugal and Venice is an oxymoron—a shame because despite the unpleasantries of pricing and crowds, this is a fun city to visit with kids. I love the recent Frugal Traveler article in the New York Times on seeing Venice …